White to move. Can White save the Rook? How should White proceed?
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White to move. Can White save the Rook? How should White proceed?
I’m thinking Bb2 starts some nasty business threatening Bc1 going after the Black king. Am I on the right track?
1. Bb2 Bxg1 2. Bc1 and then 3. Qxh6 wins. White should pursue checkmate.
from Michael,
1. Bb2 Bxg1 2. Bc1 and then 3. Qxh6 wins. White should pursue checkmate.
from Michael,
1. Bb2 Bxg1 2. Bc1 and then 3. Qxh6 wins. White should pursue checkmate.
from Michael,
What counts as “saved”? White already has a draw by repetition in hand by sacrificing at h6:
1. Qh6 Kh6
2. Rh3 Kg5
3. Rg3 Kf4
4. Rf3 and black can’t escape the checks from the rook.
Now, does white have anything better? White can block the bishop’s attack on the rook with Ne3:
1. Ne3 Be3
2. Re3 and white has saved the rook.
Of course, “save the rook” is a bit of a misleading label, isn’t it? Given the position, should white even care if black captures at g1? I would only have my eyes on that h6 pawn, but how to get at it? Qh4 threatening Rh3 looks overpowering in that I can’t see a way to protect it sufficiently given that white also has the secondary threat of Qf6 threatening mate a different way:
1. Qh4 Bg1??
2. Rh3 Be3 (only delay now)
3. Ne3 and mate in 2 more is unavoidable.
At move 1, black could try Be2 with the intention of playing h5, but this is still bad:
1. Qh4 Be2
2. Qf6! Rg8 (only move I see)
3. Qf7 Kh8
4. Rh3 Be3 (lets Q protect h6 too)
5. f6!
Double threat of Ne3 and Qh7#. Continuing:
5. …..Bd3 (mate unstoppable)
6. Ne3 and it mate soon.
1. Qh4 wins for white because black can’t defend against both 2. Qf6 and 2. Rh3
More interesting, I think, is how black defends against 2. Rh3 if f6 is already defended.
Put the e5 pawn on e7 and figure out how to defend against 1. Qh4 and 2. Rh3
my move will be Nd3. Black cant allow the knight to jump into f4 because will be mated. So, it takes knight with bishop and white ratakes with rook.
Ignacio. Arg.
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,in chess game,why on earth to think in terms of retaining some pieces ? Mating is the requisite – always think in terms of that – then positioning / retaining the pieces accordingly,serves the purpose.
Already best available combination had been given by Rick & others – “Bb2” . Nothing to add further.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
why not Rg6?
The problem with 1.Bb2 is that black has time to defend with Rg8 now:
1. Bb2 Rg8!
Probably the only move that holds is Rg8 here. If black tries a move sequence like Be2 followed by h5, white will just proceed with Michael’s plan of Bc1, and then drive the black bishop away and mate, or win black’s queen, with Bd3: [1. …Be2? 2.Bc1 h5 3.Bd3! Qd3 (or 3. …Bd3 4.Qh5#; or 3. …Qg1 4.Ba6) 4.Rd3 Bg1 5.Kg1+-]. Continuing:
2. Rg8
The problem can be seen now- white gains nothing by playing Bc1 since the black king cannot be corralled in this position by the queen and the bishop alone since the black king has a escape hatch: [2.Bc1?! Rg3 3.hg3 (or 3.Qh6? Kg8 4.hg3 Bg1 5.Kg1 and black is clearly better) 3. …Bg1 4.Kg1 and black is up an exchange, and should have the edge]. Continuing:
2. …..Rg8 (Kg8 ok, too, I think)
3. Bc1 Rg7 and black should hold this quite easily, and might even have a slightly better position.
I like 1. Bb2! very much, if Black takes the rook, White mates with Bc1.